Objective: To evaluate the surgical outcomes for patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) and to analyze the prognostic factors.
Methods: Clinical data of 187 patients with LRRC undergoing surgery at the First Hospital of peking University from January 1985 to December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed.
Results: Procedures performed included local resection(n=34), abdominoperineal resection (n=35), posterior pelvic exenteration (n=17), total pelvic exenteration(TPE, n=98), TPE with sacrectomy (n=2), and TPE with internal hemipelvectomy (n=1). The operation was R0 in 87 patients, R1 in 60, and R2 in 40. The degree of radical resection was associated with the initial surgery and the degree of pelvic fixation (P<0.05). The pelvic recurrence rate was 44.4%(64/144). The operative morbidity and mortality were 47.5%(89/187) and 2.7%(5/187), respectively. The overall 3- and 5-year survival rates were 42.2% and 30.7%, respectively. The degree of radical resection and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors associated with prognosis. The 5-year survival rates of R0, R1 and R2 were 42.6%, 17.2% and 0, respectively(P<0.01). The 5-year survival rates of patients with and without lymph node metastasis were 5.6% and 40.5%(P<0.01) respectively.
Conclusion: Accurate evaluation of extent of pelvic fixation and achievement of R0 resection are critical to improve the surgical outcomes for LRRC.